


Wishes in Disguise

by false_alexis



Category: Daughters of the Dragon, Heroes For Hire (Comics)
Genre: Bail bondswomen pushing legal limits, Christmas Season, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Misses Clause Challenge, Nightwing Restorations, Possibly Unrequited Love, Undercover as a Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-02-28 19:39:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2744624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/false_alexis/pseuds/false_alexis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Colleen goes to help Misty out with a problem situation. Helping leads to kissing, kissing leads to feelings, feelings lead to all sorts of chaos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wishes in Disguise

**Author's Note:**

  * For [haipollai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/haipollai/gifts).



> Anything likable in this fic is the result of S's advice and insight, which dragged the good parts out of the mangled disaster it was, and of A's betaing and feedback, which sorted out a hundred little things I hadn't even realized were amiss. Thank you both so much! And any concrit or feedback is welcome.
> 
> Timeline ignores Shadowland, and attempts to loosely parallel certain character development from Heroes for Hire v3. When it comes down to either difficult-to-address contemporary canon or reaching back to more broadly used characterizations, I've generally chosen the latter.

 

This time last week- or this time last week in New York, Colleen wasn’t sure what the time conversion would be- Misty has been pumped to get started on a new case, something that wouldn’t quite violate their roles as bondswomen, but would be a little more entertaining than chasing the Rhino through traffic.

While Misty was off down under, they had agreed, Colleen would manage their business back home, as well as standing in reserve as a sort of ‘control point’. Not that she’d be wired in, or anything, but just someone out of the way who could try to work from a distance if Misty needed it. Misty would bring Danny with her, to impress the supposed ‘client’ with his casual attitude towards wealth (for a man who spend most of his formative years in a small mountain village, he sure was comfortable with spending money when he wanted to) and his general good manners.

This time last week they’d had a really solid plan, Colleen would have sworn it.

* * *

 

The hotel room wasn’t a room, it was a damn suite, with a terrace that looked out over a park, and Colleen couldn’t even see a bed. The place was unlike anything she’d ever booked for herself; it was like something out of another world, Danny’s world, or from some alternate universe where she got to vacation in high-end hotels. She left her suitcase on the by the door and sank into the opulent couch, complete with it’s blood red pillows that perfectly matched Misty’s usually colors. She was exhausted, and jet-lagged to hell.

Just after Misty and Danny’s flight should have taken off, Colleen got a call, from Danny, _on his cell phone_. Which meant that he was probably somewhere with coverage, which meant not thirty thousand feet in the air. “I didn’t go,” he’d told her, “so maybe you should.”

Given the choice between sticking with a well-considered plan or knowing there was someone watching Misty’s back, Colleen didn’t even hesitate.

Which was how she ended up side-by-side with Misty on the stupidly soft couch, chatting with very pixelated Danny Rand on her laptop. Colleen couldn’t quite follow the conversation, but she figured if there was anything super-important they could just tell her again later.

“Oh, hey, Colleen, we’ve got your cover fully set up!” Danny said,  interrupting her internal debate of whether she should just fall asleep on the ridiculous couch, or if it was worth locating the probably-equally-ridiculous bed. “You’re Colleen Bird, now.”

Colleen took a deep breath, and did her best to keep her voice pleasant and as non-threatening-of-violence as possible. It wasn’t his fault- exactly- that she’s been forced to get on a plane, fly literally around the world during the pre-Christmas travel season, and call Otis to help handle the office back home. She could assume that he wasn’t doing any of this on purpose. But still, travel. Airlines. Economy seats in the week before Christmas. She really should be forgiven a little stress.

“Seriously?”

Okay, so maybe it was more than a <i>little</i> stress. Colleen started to regret her lack of involvement in the planning process, but seriously, she wasn’t supposed to be here.

Misty was ‘Misty Templar’, a supposed weapons expert, helping with a potential sale to this Australian would-be crime lord. Bird had a hobbyist’s interest in blades, but came from money. They came with a few outside recommendations, and they only need to make it last three, maybe four days. Which was good. Colleen was pretty sure any of their colleagues with greater covert experience- from Silver on down through Spider-Woman- would be laughing themselves silly by now.

“I’d say good luck, but you two hardly need it,” Danny said, too much cheer in his voice, straining the sincerity of his words. “You’ll have this one down easy and be home by Christmas Eve.”

Home by Christmas Eve sounded very nice, but not nearly as nice as spending some real time in the city she’d just flown to, the one that was supposed to do a great New Year’s bash to rival New York’s. And even that didn’t sound as nice as sleep. Sleep sounded great. Sleep, preferably in their nice, huge hotel bed, with ridiculous sheets and maybe draw the curtains so her poor, confused body could pretend it was night for a little while-

“Just be ready to play the attentive-yet-vapid girlfriend,” Danny offered helpfully.

Wait.

Girlfriend.

What?

* * *

 

Misty dragged Colleen out of a perfectly good nap that evening, just so they could go meet the target. It made sense: Colleen hadn’t laid eyes on the man, yet, and if she was going to help Misty trick him into returning to America, they’d need as many opportunities as they could manage.

That didn’t mean that Colleen was enthusiastic about it. “What time ’s it?”

“Uh, four.” Misty glanced towards the window; the curtains were closed but there was  light around the edges. “In the afternoon.”

Colleen groaned and rolled over, burying her face in the almost too-cool pillow. “So, we’re gonna go eat fancy food with crooks?”

“Pretty much.” Misty shrugged, and threw a dress at her- when had her suitcase moved into the bedroom, anyways? “But they’re buying, and it’s supposed to be a really good restaurant, and honestly, Colleen, you don’t want to know how much a glass of wine costs here, you will cry.”

Colleen was still dazed by the time they sashayed into the restaurant, but she put on her best, most winning smile. (Working with Misty meant a lot of trying to be charming enough for two, which was not, never had been and never would be Colleen’s strong suit.) The target- she had to stop thinking of him like that- made a fuss as they came upstairs to their window-side table, Colleen blinking sleepily as ‘Mr. Grey’ was introduced.

“It’s Colleen, am I correct? Your Misty has spoken so much about you.”

‘Your Misty?’ Wow. That wasn’t a phrase she’d heard before.

“Only true things, I hope,” she said, glancing over to give Misty a not-so-mock glare. The feeling that had haunted her since arrival, like at some point she’d crossed over the equator and into a parallel reality, grew.

Colleen managed small talk about how large and full and elegant the restaurant was, about the spectacular view. It was probably meant to impress; if she hadn’t spent far too long with Danny Rand and his random propensity for high-rise restaurants in what she considered the greatest city on earth, it would have worked.

Through it all she found herself leaning in close to Misty, enjoying the intimacy of being there, at dinner, together. Not that they didn’t go as a matched set, not that they didn’t eat together (more meals than not, but who’s counting?) in their day to day life, but this was different. Misty turned and smiled and it was a little bit warmer, a different kind of personal than what Colleen was used to. It made something purr inside her, possessive and proud.

* * *

 

The smart thing to do would have been to wait until Misty brought it up. Too bad Colleen was terrible at waiting.

“So, why is Danny not here?”

“We decided it was a bad idea,” Misty said, brusquely.

After final drinks had been drunk and false and ulteriorly motivated compliments had been paid all around, they had both been more than ready to collapse in the fancy-schmancy suite. Colleen shrugged off her dress as Misty did the same, leaving it in a puddle on the floor as she traded out for a nightshirt.

Colleen let her take her time, once she started, and eventually Misty clarified. “We just… we’re done with that, for good, I think. I don’t want- anyways, Danny and I, we’re done. And right now it’s still pretty recent, and we keep tripping over each other, and I don’t know that we could… sell it as a couple,” she finished, apparently addressing the remarkably fine original canvas on the wall just past Colleen.

“Ah.” Well, that explained why Colleen was here and Danny was still in New York with Luke and Jess.

She didn’t offer sympathy because Misty really hated that after breakups- righteous anger they could share, but Misty always wanted to ignore the pain as much as possible.

It should have made things clearer for Colleen; instead, the feeling of discomfort from earlier in the evening crept back. Something about this was weirder than it should have been. Maybe, she considered, while climbing into pyjamas, it was pretending to be that close to Misty? Or maybe it was pretending to be that distant from Misty, the idea of having only the sort of ‘together but independant’ that Misty and Danny excelled at. That had never been how Misty and Colleen functioned- they were two halves of a whole, two sides of a coin, whatever.

Or maybe she was just too tired to think.

Misty leaned against the terrace doorway, but she looked inward, at Colleen. Her mouth twitched into the tiniest frown, as if she knew what Colleen was dwelling on and didn’t approve. “So, Grey,” she said. “You didn’t like him.”

Colleen made a face. Grey made her skin crawl every time he spoke. By the time the remains of the appetizers had been removed, Colleen’s smile had taken a turn for the rictus.

"You look so lovely, Miss Bird,” he had informed her, apropos of nothing. “Surely you didn’t dress up just for me”

Colleen had spared at long look at Misty, at her red dress and the tips of her knee-high boots just visible around the table.

“Surely not,” she’d agreed, and hours later she could feel the complete truth of those words.

Misty was still looking at her expectantly. “True,” Colleen said, instead of “a few days of this and I might just give in and stab someone before we even get Grey to the States’. She gave up the battle with herself and flopping backwards onto the bed.

The bed dipped under her as Misty sat, and Colleen felt the drag of gravity start to pull her down to Misty’s side. “He’s a criminal and a creep.”

“He’s such a creep.” Colleen considered. “You think he noticed I didn’t like him?”

“Honey, I think the taxi driver and passersby on the street noticed that you didn’t like him.”

“We were on the fifth floor,” Colleen said, blinking a little.

“Yeah, and five stories down, there were people suddenly overcome with the sense that wow, the hot chick in the silver dress really hates the dude she’s having dinner with, and those poor folks don’t even know why.”

“Shut up.” Colleen groped around for a pillow, and bopped Misty with it, once, listening appreciatively to her little grumbles.

* * *

 

The hotel had a jacuzzi on a covered roof, and Colleen was pretty well convinced she’d never stay in a Holiday Inn again. The bubbles swirled, leeching away the tension that seemed to loom over them, and Colleen thought that maybe this could work after all.

It was a good way to spend the day, a combination of planning and prepping and being wonderfully, gloriously lazy. Beside her, Misty looked amazing — bathing suits had been a priority, thank god. Colleen just watched her, savoring the moment alone with her best friend, basking in the calm before they headed out once more.

“You okay?” Misty asked her, after Colleen had been silent a little too long.

Colleen shrugged, letting the motion pull her shoulders out of the water so that drops ran down her arms. She didn’t make a fuss or anything, but she was sure to touch Misty (lightly, gently, far too personal a gesture for a public place) in sight of two men who hadn’t bothered to ditch their suits before coming to the poolside, who kept glowering at the two women. Which, wow, Colleen and Misty held the joint title of ‘least subtle heroes this side of the Hulks’, and she still found that embarrassingly amateurish.

The men watched them walk to the elevator together, but made no move to follow.

“Maybe he’s making a point to you,” Colleen murmured as they walked back to their room, hips swaying in time together. Colleen loved the feel of it, of moving alongside and in sync with Misty. Tonight she’d get more: more time with Misty, more time to act like this and then perhaps act like themselves.

“Point about what?” Misty asked.

“That he has the resources to expend,” said Colleen, softly, in MIsty’s ear.

Misty hummed. “Maybe. Or maybe he’s saying that he doesn’t trust us yet.”

* * *

 

Colleen stepped into the ballroom- an actual, classic ballroom- and was immediately distracted from the gentle tug of Misty on her arm by the absolute swarm of people. “Who are they?” She hissed.

She felt Misty shrug. “Don’t know. People Grey wants to impress, probably. Or people he wants to impress us with.”

“Ugh.”

Unfortunately, Colleen could see how that would work. There was something grand — bordering on grandiose — about this whole event; the vaulted ceilings and beautiful, obviously classic round windows, the extensive wreaths and the elaborately decorated Christmas seemed out of place given the slimy sort of people within. Everything had just a hint of a warm glow to it. All that splendour as calculated to intimidate, as if the very furnishings themselves want to put guests in their place even as they cheered and warm them.

Okay, so maybe Colleen was ascribing a little bit of unnecessary motive to their environment, but it was showy.

“Ah, Ms. Templar, and the incomparable Miss Bird. You look especially lovely tonight, truly, you decorate the room.”

Misty and Colleen exchanged a look that clearly said ' _we’ll_ re _decorate the room_ , preferably in blood red.

Beside her, Misty said nothing, but kept a proprietary arm around Colleen’s waist. It was comforting, and maybe grounding, because as long as Colleen was keeping her cool that meant Misty was, as well. And, well, Colleen had seen Misty lose her cool in situations like this, and the result usually required quite a few lawyers and some rather hefty settlements.

The thing was, he wasn’t wrong. If Misty was here to impress people with her knowledge and supposed connections, she was also turning heads everywhere she went. Her dress was deep red satin, perfectly fitted and a full-length sleeve on one arm while showing her bionic arm from the shoulder on down. Colleen took it for a challenge: if anyone was going to recognize the one-armed black woman, it would be tonight, where she went on display and drew everyone in the place to a second glance.

Colleen reached for a drink from the first waiter she saw.

She worked her way through the oddly green drink, followed by the oddly deep red drink, before figuring out that they were working off a Christmas theme. How sweet. The people she met were just as unsurprising: they smiled, they lied, they all seemed to be from the ‘vaguely shady but not quite criminal’ businessman model. Throughout the night Grey kept slipping around to whisper something in Misty’s ear, and Colleen found herself shoved around as a sort of human shield, always between Misty and their obsequious host.

It didn’t stop him from oh-so-subtly bringing up Misty’s supposed expertise with far too many of the other guests. They weren’t here just to be introduced- they were here to be shown off, as if a sort of trophy, or perhaps a warning, an announcement that he was making a move soon, and everyone else should beware. It wasn’t like Misty’s way of displaying herself, of showing off all that she was.When Grey did it there was a distinct tone of ‘look what I have’ that made Colleen’s skin crawl, and Misty’s arm tighten about her. Colleen wasn’t sure if that was a way of relieving tension, or of offering reassurance, but either way it was nice.

It was, perhaps, the nicest part of the evening. Colleen felt Misty hovering close in a way she normally didn’t, and that was sweetly infuriating. They’d been comfortable in each other space since they were first friends and partners, but never with intent. Thankfully. Colleen would have long since lost her mind. She might lose it tonight; Misty smelled so good, like her hair product and her warm, firm skin and like just a hint of the perfume she wore when she was being fancy. For a long time, Colleen had thought of it as her ‘Danny perfume’, but she’s learned to like it, probably since she first realized that no, Misty did use it at other times. Occasionally.

It made Colleen curve away from the people she met, instead of towards them, because all she wanted was to lose herself in the sight and smell of Misty. Even the tension- danger-intrigue-violence potential wasn’t enough to keep her focused, or to ruin Misty’s subtle appeal. Colleen, watched Misty watch the person they were talking to, saw the way her long eyelash brushed subtly over her cheek, and wondered if she could get away with a random kiss partway through the evening. It would be so easy, she could just lean in and brush over Misty’s temple with her thumb, then press a light kiss — oh-so-light, it wouldn’t even disturb her lipstick- to the corner of her mouth. Just enough, mind you, that Misty would know, that it would maybe even tease a little.

Not that Colleen’s trying to tease, but Misty’s being… something. Too sincere? Too casual? About this whole thing. Colleen would just like to try for a little balance, that’s all. When Grey slipped off, it meant that Colleen was alone with Misty- well, alone in a room crowded wall to wall with people, it was all relative- for the first time since they arrived.

Misty stared at her for a long moment, and Colleen felt her breath catch. “Dance with me,” Misty murmured, and pulled her towards the center of the room where a dance floor had been carefully laid. Colleen went willingly, a little confused but not about to argue with good luck when it found her.

Misty slipped an arm up and around Misty’s back, and began leading her through a simple box-step. Colleen was grateful for that; though movement —- her body in motion —- was something she would always be comfortable with, the idea of handling the control required to guide two people through a dance without crashing was a bit beyond her. Besides, she felt like maybe if she were leading, she’d be pulling Misty so close they didn’t have time to move. Already, they were close enough that Misty’s breasts pressed into hers when she leaned forward to whisper in her ear. Colleen felt heat on the inside, as if the warmth that Misty shared, combined with the hot air all had conspired to make her burn.

Colleen touched Misty every day, she would swear she did, but today it seemed like wherever Misty touched left Colleen’s skin tingling. Her dress, blessedly, sort of covered her arms, but Misty’s cool metal hand was cupped against the bare skin over Colleen’s shoulderblade.

“I think” Misty leaned in to breathe in Colleen’s ear, and Colleen didn’t even try to suppress her shiver, “that our room is bugged.”

That is very much not what Colleen expected her to say. She tried her best to get her thoughts back on track, to focus on what Misty was saying- what was happening around them- rather than get distracted by this intimacy that she always wanted and never… never quite got. Not like this. Anyways. “You checked again?”

“Yeah. Audio only, so I left them in place.”

“Hmm.” On the one hand, they want Grey to underestimate them. On the other hand... yeah, Colleen would really prefer to be able to be alone with Misty without anyone listening in.

“I mean, good thing we’re not actually together- imagine how awkward that would have been.”

Ugh. That’s- Colleen took half a second to be annoyed and horrified. The idea of someone listening to the two of them, even if the intent was more about keeping enemies close than about spying on two beautiful women- it made the drinks sour in her stomach, and left a bitter taste on her tongue.

Then she backtracked to consider what, exactly, she felt was being violated. It was about what Grey’s people should expect from them, and that lead to images of what she only wanted to have in private- her and Misty, Misty and her, being alone together in a beautiful, romantic hotel, on a (working) vacation-— and what they would be up to, when they got back from the beach, from the harbour, from the hot tub. Suddenly she found herself picturing the way Misty would look underneath her, outer layer gone and bra half-off so just the hint of one dark nipple is visible, hair slowly coming mussed and pressed out around her head in some sort of midnight halo. The thought was entirely too much, and Colleen felt a rush between her thighs, felt herself so embarrassingly turned on that it isnt’ funny. Then the thought of someone else listening in, deliberately hearing the sounds Misty would make, that Colleen would wring out of her with her hands, her tongue-

“Babe? You alright?” Misty peered close into her eyes, worried. “We can clear out the bugs if you want.”

Colleen realized she’d been gripping Misty’s hand so tight it must have been grinding the bones together. ‘God, sorry, yeah, I was just… thinking of what if you hadn’t checked again. I mean, that was a close call.”

“Mmm. I think this means we’re up, and soon. As soon as he commits to coming with me to the States-”

“You’ll get him,” Colleen told her. “Just let him feel like he knows what’s going on, and he’ll be ready to go where you send him.” Or he’d better be. Colleen’s not sure how much longer she can stand this confusion, this tumult. It was fun but so draining, and if they really had to do it _all_ ; the time, she’d lose her grip sooner rather than later.

They would be done, soon, she told herself firmly, and then let Misty lead her in another slow circle around the dance floor.

* * *

 

Grey had sent them tickets for a late morning harbour cruise, and his apologies that he wouldn’t be joining them. They made their way down to the harbour they’d been to that first night, now crowded with tourists, and let themselves be herded through a pre-planned morning event.

Misty spotted their watchers first. There were three guys, all trying to look like they were just normal Sydney-ites out for an overpriced trip around the harbour right in the middle of the busy season. One of them had a mole on his chin, and Colleen was pretty sure she recognized him from the pool. Misty and Colleen sat by a window, and the three sat in the middle of the deck, conscientiously not watching. Colleen might not have any formal training in this stuff — she knew how to sneak up behind people and how to use a katana, not how to play at being something she wasn’t — but even she knew that they were failing, mightily, to be subtle.

“I feel like we’ve stumbled into the Australian Austin Powers,” Misty muttered, leaning entirely into Colleen’s space and running her fingers down the back of her hand. Colleen really wanted to punch someone right now, just to let off the nervous energy that seemed to be building inside her.

They stayed out, as much because they knew the room offered no privacy as to enjoy the summer. The sun was warm, but the cool breeze off the water made up for it. “I’m not sure how long I can handle having nothing to do,” admitted Colleen.

* * *

 

There was a certain tone of voice that Misty used, when she was so sure of herself that she made true statements into jokes; a confidence that said she didn’t need to convince anyone else of anything. It did things to Colleen, sometimes, when their environment shifted and she couldn’t quite rely on her old defenses in the same way, it sent a shiver down her skin and made her buzz pleasantly. But that was how Misty approached everything: she’s not there  _for_ you but she’ll be there  _with_ you.

Colleen always wanted Misty _with_ her. Long after Misty had dozed off that evening, Colleen lay awake thinking about how Misty’s breathing on the other side of the bed sounded right, sounded like something she’s so familiar with it’s almost easier to sleep that way. She definitely didn’t lie there contemplating Misty in her bathing suit, stretched out and so relaxed, looking like a goddess of, well, anything or everything. Looking, in fact, better than many goddesses Colleen had met. How the pale sand had looked against her dark skin as she had dropped off her flip-flops and enjoyed the beach under her feet, or the satisfied smirk she’d worn as she did so.

They’d spent hours at a gorgeous beach, and stayed to watch the sunset. Misty got looks —black woman with a metal arm wearing a bikini is, apparently, not such a hum-drum thing in Sydney as it is in New York — but by comparison Colleen passed as unremarkable. Or maybe they all stared at how good Misty looked, sun glinting off her, as if to literally blind with her beauty. Colleen didn’t care, but she did stay close, only going in the water for a quick dip before returning to Misty and her towel on the beach.

So she didn’t think of how easy it would have been to reach out and run her hand up and down Misty’s back, just barely skipping over the tie on her red bikini. She didn’t focus on the way the stark sunlight caught Misty’s incredible cheekbones, or how she’d been so elegant as she kept her neck curved up, away from any contaminating sand. She definitely didn’t think about the party the next night, or about the way she’d probably get to curve her hand around Misty’s hip, or brush her fingertips over Misty’s neck. Colleen stared up at the elegant swirls on the ceiling, resolutely not thinking about that, focusing instead on the familiar, on the known, because there were things she to let go of a long time ago. A very long time ago.

On the way back they’d ditched the driver Grey had oh-so-thoughtfully provided and took the train instead, allowing that the crowds and the noise were preferable to being watched at all times. It felt good, to be standing next to Misty like that, to have people see them and know they were a set. It felt different from how it felt in New York- more on display, perhaps, or more possessive. Even that night, she held onto that exhilarating feeling of being somehow more in Misty’s company than she’d ever been.

Frustration flowed through her, threatening to overwhelm her calm, and her ability to carry on. She had to master this… distraction. That’s what it was. She was in a sexual situation with a beautiful woman she trusted, and cared about, and it was a little distracting. All she had to do was stop thinking about it, and she’d be fine.

* * *

 

The best thing about this job was the surprise vacation, into summer, in a place Colleen might never have bothered to go. The sunshine was relaxing, and the sea breeze seemed to steal away her second-guessing when it came to Misty.

The worst thing about this job was the waiting. “Why would Grey bother wooing you like this?” she asked, only half-rhetorically, referring to the dinner and the cruise and the hotel and every other luxury they’d enjoyed.

Misty looked straight at her, and said, in a voice so confident it made Colleen’s knees weak: “Because I’m damn well worth wooing.”

* * *

****

The constant surveillance meant constantly playing the role, and Colleen was both loving and hating every second.

Misty seemed collected, cool, only concerned about the mission itself, just like Colleen should have been. Instead she caught herself watching Misty who was watching her, and wondering if that speculative look on Misty’s face meant that she’d figured out what was going on in Colleen’s head, that she’d noticed the desire that Colleen played was as real as the general affection.

When Colleen absolutely couldn’t take it any more, she went down to the street level to try to hide out in one of the thousand coffeeshops to make a phone call in something approaching privacy. Just getting away to talk to someone else who knew — and understood — well, sort of knew and understood- gave her a sense of energy and optimism.

The conversation stuttered to a stop within a minute. Danny’s didn’t seem inclined to rush her, for all that the background was filled with the cries of a shrieking, happy toddler and the heavy thump of parents chasing after her. Colleen appreciated that, appreciated not being entirely alone as she tried to collect herself.

““This is a weird job, you know?”

“Well,” said Danny, prevaricating. “In all fairness, we’ve had many jobs that involved space aliens and time travelers, so in comparison to that-”

“Alright, fine, not weird like that. But it’s weird to be _doing_.”

“I’d think you’d enjoy it, getting to live the high life and spend time with Misty.”

“Right?” Colleen had opened her eyes and tensed up again, and she wasn’t even sure why. “It should be heaven- an all expenses paid vacation with my best friend.”

“Uh-huh.” Danny sounded maybe a little speculative, but certainly far too knowing.

“Sorry, I’m not trying to…” Colleen felt a sudden jolt of remorse, because here she was, standing in for the very man she was complaining to.

“It’s alright,” said Danny. His voice was heavy. “You’re saving me from being in an awkward situation. Misty and I-” he broke off, cleared his throat, and tried again. “In the past we’ve needed distance because that’s where we are at the moment. Now, it’s more than that for both of us.”

Well, that was one way of looking at it. Colleen tried not to feel anything but sympathy for her friends, but it was just a bit harder than it should have been to push back the possessiveness and relief.Sure, at times she’d been jealous of Misty’s romances. That wasn’t supposed to happen with Danny, though, because for all he got to come and go from Misty’s life, Colleen got to stay. Also, even without Misty, Danny would still be her dear friend.

And even if she was, or had been, a tiny bit jealous of them, he still worked hard to support them both professionally. Colleen was sincerely grateful for that, a fact which she sternly reminded herself of.

“You prepped for this job, though. I feel like I’m in over my head, here, playing at being some useless rich girl Misty keeps around for show.”

“Thanks,” said Danny, very dry. Colleen winced; she hadn’t meant to imply that the role would better suit Danny, except, oops, maybe she had. “Look, you’re not stressed out about the job; it’s about getting what you want. Or maybe about facing what you want, and I’m sorry I’m not there to be a convenient out for you anymore, but maybe that’s for the best.”

Colleen sat upright so fast one of the baristas stopped what he was doing to stare at her. “What?”

“Colleen.” He looked at her, patiently. “You need to do the job, and you need to figure out what you love.”

Well, that was simple: she loved Misty. See? Figuring out all done.

No, wait, it wasn’t supposed to be that simple, was it? Most of the time people had to think, and weigh who in their lives they couldn’t live without. And it’s not like Colleen didn’t love other people- her father, and her friends. She’d been in love, maybe, too.

Surely what she felt for Misty was the inconvenient attraction that came from having a really attractive best friend. Though she had so many hot friends- perks of being a superhero- and really, she should be over this by now. Certainly, she knew that the physical appearance of someone wasn’t the only thing that turned her on, and since Misty had so many traits that appealed to her, of course Colleen occasionally had those thoughts. So that didn’t mean that it meant more than any other crush.

But ‘Who do you love’ was Misty, could only be Misty, and that…

Colleen buried her face in her hands. “Well, shit.”

* * *

****

Colleen could handle this… new development. She really could. She just had to hold on to what she already knew, and not let herself get caught up in the heady rush of recognizing love a long time coming.

What she and Misty had already was good- was great. It was something Colleen had no intention of ever doing entirely without.

She knew Misty, she understood her better than anyone else. In all their years together, she’d seen Misty with Danny and with other men, but never had Misty claimed that she wanted any of this with Colleen or any other woman. Just because Colleen had seen signs of interest, or flirting, a bit when they were first working together doesn’t mean that it was intended to go anywhere.

She was here to do a damn job. Her job. The thing that she prided herself on. Distractions like Misty —- no, that wasn’t fair, try again: like her reaction to Misty’s acting—, that was unprofessional of Colleen. This wasn’t her normal sort of work, but she’d agreed to it, and was going to it as well as she could.

She had felt attracted to Misty before. She’d felt attached to Misty, and yes, at times she’d felt jealous. All of that added up to plenty of experience handling her own emotions and desires without falling apart. Therefore, she could power through this week, and make it back home with her heart in one piece, right?

Just because something hurts a little (or a lot) doesn’t make it not worth doing.

* * *

****

They went out Saturday night, but skipped the clubs, instead enjoying fireworks over the water and the press of the crowds outside. It was weird how normal it all was- touching Misty from time to time, reaching out to keep her within talking distance when the bustle in the harbour threatened to drag them apart.

“You’re very pensive tonight,” Misty said, her voice low.

Colleen shrugged, and smiled, letting Misty guide her close by her side as they stepped through a mess of children playing on the bricks. “Just thinking about this week.”

She felt Misty tense, but only a little. “Oh? Anything I should know?”

“Nah,” she said easily. “Just thinking about us.”

“Yeah,” said Misty. “I know what you mean.”

Misty got up from the steps where they were sitting to take a phone call, mouthing ‘Grey’ at Colleen. Behind her, a woman made a sympathetic face, an expression of condolence for someone whose date had been interrupted by work.

That was nothing new. People always wondered about them, and a part of Colleen took offense- did nobody appreciate how easy it was to be so close to a friend and fellow warrior that you were two halves of a whole? But maybe they didn’t. Colleen wouldn’t say it was a unique trait, but it certainly seemed to be specifically common among super-heroes. Maybe the way that twisted your life around, replacing ordinary activity with constant threats and a never-ending vigilance, maybe that messed with your relationships more than anyone recognized. So few of them have normal home lives. Colleen had always assumed it was because they were all adrenaline junkies with savior complexes, but perhaps it was more than that- maybe if they really wanted those sorts of relationships, they wouldn’t be running around in spandex in the first place.

Colleen watched Misty on the phone, lost in her own thoughts. For such an elaborate scheme, their goal was so simple; and for such a simple goal, it was taking an awfully long time to achieve. Authorities in the US wanted Grey for something- Colleen was pretty sure they had some sort of minor charges on him, but it had more to do with old connections he’d made before leaving the country. Trying to extradite him would be too complicated and likely to fail; and that it might ruin everything else they were quietly working on.

If only they could persuade Grey to come back to the US, everyone would be in the clear to do what they needed to do, and Misty and Colleen would be well paid for what was actually a very nice vacation. Really, she had every reason to think this would all be over soon.

And what would happen when they went back? Colleen had hardly thought of Australia as some sort of magical escape but it was quickly becoming that- Christmas in the summer, Misty holding her and kissing her and- well. So when they get on that plane back, would it all be done? Would this leave some sort of subtle mark on their relationship as it stood, beyond Colleen’s uncomfortable insight into her own heart? Did Colleen want it to?

* * *

****

In the morning Misty was frowning by the time Colleen woke up enough to open her eyes. She caught Colleen’s glance and put a finger to her lips. She held up a pad of  hotel paper- not, Colleen was amused to note, from their current resort- with the words ‘I’ve had enough’ scrawled on it. Then she turned around, opened the back of the room phone, and pulled something out of it.

Oh. They were doing this now, then.

The phone finished, Misty took out a little microphone in a vent, an alarm-clock device that looked more like a starter than a bug, and three more from under the furniture. Colleen was impressed; Misty must have scouted already.

“The other rooms-”

“Already checked,” said Misty.

“Right, so, you got an estimate on how long before they come crashing in?”

Misty shrugged, and plopped back down on the edge of the bed. “Dunno. I mean, a couple would probably be getting sick of all the baby-monitors-” Colleen snorted at that- “and might want a little alone time before they split up, you know?”

Colleen carefully didn’t think about that. She swung her legs over and let her toes curl over the soft, pale carpet. “If we don’t get Grey on board today,” she said, “I don’t think we’ll get him at all.”

“Yeah,” said Misty, with a sigh. “Col, I’ve brought up the merits of pretty much every gun I’ve ever used and a few I haven’t, I’ve gone on about my insights into non-traditional weaponry, I’ve used every trick I have to undermine his confidence in his current armory, and I’ve told him that the stash has to be gone, one way or another, by Christmas. So I don’t know what else-”

“No, Misty, come on,” she interrupted. “I didn’t mean that. If he doesn’t take the bait, then he doesn’t take it. This was supposed to be a two-day sell, for you, and here we are on what, day five?”

“And if we screw it up, then we’re on the hook for travel, staying here, the works. Honey, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we don’t exactly have that sort of cash sitting around.”

Colleen leaned into her just a little, bumping shoulders in solidarity. “Calm down. We haven’t lost yet.”

Misty pushed back, maybe a little more forcefully than she needed to, knocking Colleen off balance. She laughed, and shoved her in turn, but her arm snaked out around Misty’s waist, pulling her back in.

“You good for distracting Grey for a little while after we set a date to go Stateside?”

“Always,” agreed Colleen.

“Hmm,” said Misty, and Colleen could feel the way she stared. It took self-control not to turn her head to stare back, because they were so close, so very close their noses would be touching- anyways, she managed to keep her eyes focused on the picture window through the blinds. “Hey, don’t drift off now.” Misty reached across with her metal arm and oh-so-gently caught Colleen’s chin, turning her so their faces were only inches apart. “Stay with it one more day, Wing,” she said sternly.

Colleen smiled the world’s tiniest smile, and then leaned in that last, massively minescule distance until her lips brushed Misty’s.

For a long moment it was just- nothing. Anticipation, or uncertainty, perhaps. It was that hesitation between deciding and doing, or that moment of realization before reaction, but dragged on and on until it became unbearable. Then she pressed against her, a little more demanding but not aggressive, not hurried, not the way she’d always imagined kissing Misty. (Not that she’d imagined kissing Misty- wait, no, that was a lie.) Misty’s lips were soft and smooth, with a faint hint of chapstick, and she was suddenly glad it was too early for either of them to have bothered with lipstick yet. This was nicer, for a first kiss. First _real_ kiss.

And then the sweet warmth pulled away, and Colleen blinked until she was staring into Misty’s dark, warm, puzzled eyes.

“We’re not being watched,’’ said Misty slowly. Colleen couldn’t tell if she was breathing heavy or not. “There’s no, no reason- there’s no need for that.”

Her tongue darted out, rich pink against her lips, and Colleen couldn’t help but track the motion quickly. Then her brain caught up with the program, and well.

 _Oh, shit._ ;

“I…” Colleen started, and then stopped before her mouth could cause any more trouble.

Misty twitched, but she _didn’t move away_ which left Colleen in a confused has of proximity and desire. When she spoke she was still near enough that Colleen could feel her breathe on her own cheek, and that was, that-

It was possible that she had let things (feelings) get entirely out of control. Oops.

“Colleen,” Misty said, slowly, “you just kissed me.”

Colleen didn’t say anything; it seemed safest. She could apologize, but a) she didn’t want to imply that kissing Misty was something bad, and b) she wasn’t exactly sorry. For once she was going to go off of Misty’s cues, instead of charging ahead on her own.

“Why?”

“Why does anybody kiss anybody?”

Misty rolled her eyes. “Because they’re expected to. Because they just met and they’re going home together for a night. Because they’re undercover-”

“I’m attracted to you,” Colleen blurted the words, giving in to Misty’s baiting. “Really, really attracted to you, and then this week happened and you’re not- you and Danny were always going to work it out someday, I knew that, but now you’re not. I’m running out of reasons to keep bottling this up, I’m running out of ways, alright? And four days of seeing how clever you can be, how you can completely own a room, all while I’m actually supposed to show appreciation, it’s- it’s getting to me.”

Colleen huffed out a short breath, half a laugh or maybe just a hiccup. “A little bit of compartmentalization breakdown, it’ll be fine.”

Misty nodded, slowly. Then she rose and stepped away again, towards the picture window, and Colleen felt that last little moment of hope- that this isn’t a disaster, that Misty knew, that she was doing the same thing- leach away.

“Colleen-”

The knock on the door wasn’t the gentle tapping of their annoyingly persistent assigned butler, but a firm hand that won’t be ignored- one of Grey’s people, no doubt about it. Colleen would have suggested they take a moment to looked a little more disheveled, to give herself sex hair and maybe have Misty covering up as if hiding love bite, but, well. She might have managed to ruin more than just a friendship.

* * *

  


It was possible- not likely, but possible- that Grey had sent his assistant by to collect them at that time by coincidence. Colleen didn’t buy it; she’d wasted their precious time without eavesdroppers on… whatever that disaster was, and all she’d done was move up Grey’s timetable.

Actually, that might not be so bad, after all.The worst part was how it would have been fine, if it weren’t for Colleen’s decision to pack long sleeves.

Grey had made a fuss over her clothes, because Grey was apparently required to make a fuss about her appearance every time he saw her. This time, it was that the long-sleeved blouse she’d grabbed (because it was the nearest clean thing) was too warm for the weather, and wasn’t it hard to pack for summer when you were experiencing winter (as an American, he naturally understood) and why didn’t he have his assistant do a little online shopping? She could find something flattering and have it waiting at a nearby shop by the time they finished signing.

Colleen just shrugged and mumbled politely, and Grey’s brunette assistant (Betty, until someone told Colleen otherwise) pulled out a tablet and started flickering through images at an alarming rate. Colleen’s attention drifted out over the little cafe. She identified two tables of the ubiquitous, consistently unsubtle guards Grey dragged around everyone, all with coffees that they didn’t touch, one table between the two of them and the door and the other in an opposing corner, as if to stop them from trying to exit through the alley.

She had really hoped that by the time they reached this point, Grey would trust them enough to bring a little less muscle.

“So, we have a deal then, Ms. Templar?” she heard Grey say.

Colleen swung around to look at them. Already? They were already there? Grey frowned at her, and Colleen glanced away as Misty blustered a little and finalized the plan- tomorrow they’d be on their way to the States, and then back again on Christmas itself. It was only happenstance that Colleen’s gaze rested on Betty the Brunette, so it was only happenstance that she actually saw the epiphany on the young woman’s face. She looked up at Misty, fast and hard, and then down at her tablet again, and then over at Colleen. Her eyes were stretched wide even as she reached for her phone.

If Colleen had felt her blood run cold earlier, now it was frozen, just as she was. Along side her, Misty turned, obviously sensing that something was up, but Colleen didn’t know what to say, she didn't know for sure what was happening, maybe they still had time to get out as long as they played this and moved.

Table of goons number one had all three fake patrons checking their phones at once. Colleen heard Grey’s phone buzz, and that was it, she grabbed Misty’s hand as she rose up.

“Go!” She shouted.

Thank god that, despite everything, Misty still trusted her, because that was the only reason they were both in motion before the first man could fire his taser at where Misty had been sitting.

And seriously, a taser? Really? Colleen was gaining new insight into why they wanted a weapons expert. Tasers didn’t intimidate anyone, not the way a crime lord needed to.

Another guy jumped a table, resulting in a crash of broken crockery and the smell of coffee as it splashed all over the floor. Colleen broke right, and MIsty broke left, and the guy went right past them to trip over a chair. Behind them Grey yelled, screeching something about “They what?!” and “Get them back here!” which was all Colleen needed to know. She and Misty met at the double doors, and barge through them side by side even as their pursuers came tumbling after them.

They’d explored the city a little, but right at that moment it wasn’t their city, they didn’t know it inside and out. The two of them had been to most of New York, either together or alone. This place? Their best bet, Colleen figured, is high ground and a chance to evaluate how many people are coming for them. The road was quieter than they’d seen it, peaceful on a Sunday morning and easy to cross, even as Grey stood in the doorway of the little shop and urged his goons forward with vulgar curses and promises of retribution. She could see his hands waving, something flying out of them and yep, there went a shop window with a resounding ‘crash’.

Despite everything, they still moved as one perfect unit. Misty spun to cover north while Colleen stood at her back to cover south, and together they waited for the next goon to come.

* * *

****

Well, if fighting side by side was the ideal, the police showing up was the next best thing.

Wait, no, Collen meant the opposite of that.

Fuck.

 

* * *

****

Dealing with the authorities actually meant making Danny deal with authorities. They had  him on the phone at midnight his time, trying to get a hold of their erstwhile employers and make them talk to the US embassy so that someone there could go talk to the federal police- yeah. Colleen didn’t like being in custody, but she wasn’t sorry to be missing Danny’s job right now, either. With Grey gone- there was exactly zero chance they’d be convincing him to go to a hotdog stand with them, let alone another country- they’d lost a lot of the incentive for their contracting agency to move at all.

Which was probably why Colleen sounded so damn bitter about the man.

“And you didn’t intend to forcibly remove him from the country?” The woman they were facing now had a stern expression, and a look like she might be just as exhausted as they were. They’d been passed from the state police over to the federal, Colleen thought, and all that meant was getting to answer the same questions twice, with roughly the same amount of frustration.

Misty glared, because of course Misty glared. Colleen was continually amazed by how little respect Misty seemed to have for cops everywhere; it was either extreme bitterness over leaving the force, or professional exasperation. She couldn’t quite distinguish between the two.

“That’s what we said. That’s what we’ve been saying. That’s what we’ll keep saying. All we’ve been trying to do is get a United States citizen to come with us, Americans, back to the United States”

Her voice started to rise at the end, but she stayed still.

The policewoman who called herself ‘Federal Agent’- which, okay, how the hell were those the same thing- kept trying to run her hands through her dull brown hair, only to remember that it was in a braid. Colleen felt for her, she really did, because they’d every one of them be so much happier when Misty and Colleen were finally out of this godforsaken mess and back in America.

“Did you, at any point, coerce-”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Misty snapped, and Colleen bristled alongside her. Nightwing Restorations were professionals, for fuck’s sake, and knew better than to try to grab someone living in a foreign country. That was a short ticket to a kidnapping charge and years in an Australian jail cell. “No. We didn’t coerce. We didn’t force. We gave him a reason to come to the US, and he was ready to go, what the hell is so hard to understand about that?”

Things went downhill from there.

Sometimes, Colleen really regretted the way she could always be talked into doing what Misty wanted to do.

* * *

  


They were only released after the intervention of a short, aging embassy bureaucrat. Someone had finally reached somebody else and they had said something to someone who knew what was happening.

Look, Colleen really wasn’t sure what was happening any more, and she was very sure she didn’t care how it happened, as long as she got to go sleep until the giant mess she’d made had finally vanished behind her.

“What happened to Grey?” she asked, and was met with a shrug. They wheedled out of him (okay, badgered out of him) a promise to contact them as soon as any word of Grey was found. Misty frowned, and Colleen went to lay a reassuring hand on her arm, only just stopping herself in time.

The bureaucrat offered them a taxi, which would have been great if they’d had the cash for it. As was, they ended up borrowing twenty just to make fare (jesus, this place was expensive even by a New Yorker’s standards) and then they landed back at their overpriced hotel. Which they could not, under current circumstances, afford, and where even their personal butler ( _really_ ) looked at them askance when they came in, as if he was trying to think of a way to politely suggest that they find other accommodations. Unfortunately, it was also where they had told the sleep-deprived, cranky federal agent that they’d be.

The concierge gave both of them a very, very poker-faced look, and even as they waited by the elevator door, Colleen could feel the eyes of the few late-night lounge sitters inspecting her, apparently finding fault with her wrinkled, smudged, slightly ripped slacks and her overly-warm shirt that was now missing a few buttons. Her only consolation was companionship; at least Misty looked as rough as she did.

They got into the room and it was untouched- the bed was still unmade and the disabled listening devices lay on the table.

Colleen looked up to see Misty looking back at her.

“Let’s just… sleep.”

 

* * *

****

The morning didn’t change much. They were due on a plane back to LaGuardia the following day, and it would have been sooner if it weren’t so damn difficult to get seats this close to the holiday. They weren’t supposed to go out; they were more or less trapped in this ridiculous room, with each other, in what was shaping up to be one of the most awkward days of Colleen’s life.

Of course, she probably had a lot more awkward days like this to look forward to, once they got back home.

Colleen stared out the window and thought while Misty sat on the bed and typed on her laptop. It was so stupid, that was what Colleen kept coming back to, over and over. If she had only compartmentalized a  little better for a little longer, they could have at least gotten home in time. Maybe they would have still been made, but maybe, if Colleen hadn’t drawn Grey’s attention, they would have dodged that bullet and gotten through. Either way, she wouldn’t be standing here, watching the people go through the park in the warm summer sunlight, and feeling her heart pound every time Misty moved or shifted behind her.

The snap of Misty’s laptop closing sent a jolt straight through Colleen. She held as still as she could, forcing a casual stance and hoping that Misty didn’t notice how keyed up she was.

“Hey, Col, honey.” Misty came up behind her, and from the corner of her eye Colleen could see Misty’s hand hovering over her shoulder, as if she was afraid to touch. “Talk to me.”

Colleen tried not to flinch. “It’s fine.”

“Liar.”

Well, that was accurate. “Just thinking about the gig going south.”

“Liar,” Misty repeated, and this time she sounded almost amused. It made Colleen’s heart twist.

“Yeah.”

Misty reached around Colleen’s waist with both hands and pulled her in close, the curve of her breasts pressing into Collen’s shoulderblades and her chin brushing Colleen’s ear, breath ghosting through her hair. It was so familiar, the natural extension of their years of casual contact, but after a week of playacting and not-so-faked romantic touches, it felt like a mockery.

“We didn’t finish talking, yesterday.” The sound vibrated through Misty’s chest and into Colleen, words hitting inside of her.

“Since when do you like talking about feelings?”

“Since not-talking is only making people miserable,” Misty shot back.

Colleen considered that. “People?”

“In this case, me and you both.”

Misty’s words prompted a shock of guilt and remorse, and if there was one thing Colleen hated, it was feeling guilty.  She could face loss, and anger, and all of that- but guilt was  helplessness coupled with self-blame, and that was something she’d spent her adult life rejecting. “I’m sorry.”

“Hey, don’t-” Misty pulled away, and Colleen felt far too bereft at the loss of contact. But instead of moving, she came around the side, cutting between Colleen and the park below,  silhouetted by the daylight that her hair a sort of inverse halo. “Don’t do that, honey. Just… you surprised me, that’s all.”

“Right.” Because she had gone from doing a great job of keeping herself in check, to losing all sense of proportion in a single week. Surprising wasn’t the least of it. “I also… changed things, didn’t I.”

Misty shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t- I figured, you like girls, but you weren’t into me, so…”

Colleen blinked. She’d never mentioned any women to Misty, before, not that she could recall- but in their years together, surely that had been moments when Misty could have guessed. Could have seen. But that she’d see that, about Colleen, and not notice that Colleen’s type was very tough, very canny women who took no shit from anyone- well, come on, she was supposed to be a _detective_ , so how did she miss that?

“Well, you had Danny, too,” Colleen had to point out. And Danny was a good man, and was good- had been good, at least- for Misty, and he was Colleen’s friend. Even if she hadn’t felt like it would be confusing her own relationship with Misty, she never felt like she had the right to mess around in the relationship of her two best friends.

Misty shrugged again, uncomfortable with something in the conversation. “Yeah, sometimes.”

Sometimes, but then again, even when they were off, there was always that sense of possibility.

Either Misty had developed telepathy, or Colleen was being really obvious. “Not any more,” Misty clarified, exasperation clear. “That’s… that’s not what I want any more. I love Danny, but- but that sort of inconsistency, it isn’t what I want out of life.”

“This isn’t just about-”

“This isn’t about the k-kid,” Misty actually stumbled over the word, and Colleen felt terrible for even bringing it up, “and it isn’t about me and Danny, not even if you try to make it about that. It’s about me and you, okay?”

“So, what, you’re saying that you suddenly changed your mind about being here with Danny because of me?” Colleen let a little bit of her fear and frustration bleed into her voice as sarcasm.

“Yes.”

Oh. That was weird.

Misty took pity on her, and though she took a step back she grasped Colleen’s hand in her own. “Little more complicated than just that, but- I figured if I came here with Danny I’d be setting us up for the same cycle we’ve been in for years, and Col, I’m just so tired of that. It was what I wanted then, but now-”

Colleen dipped her chin once, in assent, because words were tangling in her throat, causing a lump so real it hurt. So was Misty, what, just wanting to cut out Danny and having Colleen around helped that? The scary thing was that right now, Colleen was pretty sure she’d let Misty continue to do that, because anything seemed better than nothing, but after a few weeks- months- whatever, time would pass and Colleen wouldn’t be able to handle being just a replacement, but with Misty her walls were already down, she was already so attached-

“-and that’s why I wanted to be here with you,” Misty finished.

“What?” Colleen blinked hard.

Misty rolled her eyes, but squeezed Colleen’s hand reassuringly. “Honey, come on. Stay with me here. I’m just saying- I never really thought it through, you know? I figured it was off the table, and we were both happy, but then this past week has been… well, alright, it’s been incredibly stressful trying to work undercover, pretend to be a criminal, and then blow the whole job. But-” she emphasized the word with another squeeze of Colleen’s hand- “the one really good thing about this-”

“Was the hot tub?”

“The _other_ really good thing about this week, aside from the hot tub, and the cheesy tinsel trees, and the stupid summer vacation as Christmas, has been you.”

“Me. What, me being a creeper?” Colleen couldn’t help the bitterness in her voice.

“You being my other half, asshole,” said Misty, exasperated.

“I’m always your other half,” Colleen shot back, but her heart wasn’t in it. The lump in her throat was gone, but it had been replaced by a heavy feeling in her belly, like the weight of everything she’d said and done is finally pressing down on her.

Misty smiled. “Exactly. That’s what I’m saying. This week, it all just kind of… fit. You and me, we’re- when Danny and I decided we were done, no more rematches, you know- I had to figure out why, and I realized… I like what I have with you. I want what I have with you. That’s the exact kind of thing I…”

It took Colleen a minute to realize that Misty wasn’t going to finish. She cleared her throat, licked her lips, and stalled as long as she could before forcing the words out. “And I fucked it up, now.”

“Damn it, Colleen, you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” she snapped. And then she leaned in and pressed her lips against Colleen’s.

Colleen lost track of time for a little while after that.

Her lips were tingling by the time she’d recollected herself enough to pull away, and there was a faint remnant of a lipstick smear at the corner of Misty’s mouth. It was perfect.

“So, yeah?” Colleen said, eloquent as ever.

Misty smiled at her. “I’m in if you are.”

When had Colleen ever been able to say not to that?

* * *

 

Colleen rolled over and grumbled when the phone rang, but Misty — damn Misty and her ability to wake up — jumped out of bed to answer it. Her rich voice moved from annoyed, to interested, to surprised and then on to cat-who-got-the-canary pleased. Colleen felt a warmth well up inside her chest, threatening to break loose at any moment. She was here, with Misty.  _Her_ Misty.

“Good news?” she murmured, as Misty climbed back into bed.

“They took Grey in when they got us,” Misty announced. “He got out by making the same deal: they got him a ticket back to the States, on his own dime, and the plane’s already in motion. Oh, and it looks like he’s still responsible for all his outstanding Australian debts.”

“Like our entire week here?” Asked Colleen, perhaps a little shocked. This was… nice. This was very nice. This was, perhaps, not quite how they’d intended to do the job- but no one could say that it hadn’t gotten done.

“Hmm,” Misty said, and her smile was so pleased that Colleen couldn’t help leaning down to kiss it again. One kiss became many, and a few minutes later they pulled apart, Colleen gasping and shaking and pleased to see Misty was not much better.

“So what you’re saying is that we don’t get to spend the New Year in Sydney, but we do get to spend another night alone together in a luxury hotel room, forced to order room service and keep each other company before we return home in time for Christmas to collect our fee for a job well done?”

“Hmm,” Misty agreed again. “Of course, that’s all on you, you know.”

“Oh really?”

“So you’d better find some way to keep me entertained.”

“Oh,” said Colleen, wickedness returning in spades, “I think I know just the thing.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title is a reference to Trans-Siberian Orchestra's excellent This Christmas Day.


End file.
